Toolkit for "Teaching at the Intersections"

This
toolkit for “Teaching at the Intersections” provides anti-bias essential
questions and readings from Perspectives
for a Diverse America that can be used to build student understanding of
intersectionality in grades K-12.

Introduction

Adopting an intersectional approach means understanding that everyone has multiple identities—some visible and some invisible. But to truly understand intersectionality is to include identity and oppression in the conversation.

Essential Questions

How does intersectionality relate to identity and justice?

How can intersectionality be applied within the framework of anti-bias education to teach about multiple identities and oppression?

Procedure

The ABF is a set of anchor standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes divided into four domains—identity, diversity, justice and action. The standards provide a common language and organizational structure for K-12 anti-bias education. Two anchor standards stand out in the ABF as particularly useful in thinking about intersectionality:

Justice 14 (JU.14): “Students will recognize that power and privilege influence relationships on interpersonal, intergroup and institutional levels and consider how they have been affected by those dynamics.”

Below are examples of how Perspectives can help teach about multiple identities (ID.3) and power and privilege (JU.14 ) to students in grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Each example incorporates a grade-level outcome, an essential question and text titles. Log in to Perspectives to explore further and build your own learning plan with tasks and strategies! (Free registration required.)

GRADES K-2

ID.K-2.3: I know that all my group identities are part of me—but that I am always ALL me.

Essential Question: What groups do I belong to?

Literature: My Name Was Hussein (excerpt) by Hristo Kyuchukov (religion, race and ethnicity)

Informational: “Storm” by Tamera Bryant (gender)
“Julia Moves to the United States” by Sean McCollum (immigration)

JU.K-2.14: I know that life is easier for some people and harder for others and the reasons for that are not always fair.

Essential Question: How do I know when people are being treated unfairly?

GRADES 6-8

ID.6-8.3: I know that overlapping identities combine to make me who I am and that none of my group identities on their own fully defines me or any other person.

Essential Question: How do different parts of our identities combine to make us who we are?

Literature:
“Why Chicken Means so Much to Me” from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (class, race and ethnicity)
“We Live by What We See at Night” by Martin Espada (place, immigration)

ARTICLE

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Social Justice Standards: The Teaching Tolerance Anti-bias Framework is a set of 20 anchor standards and 80 grade-level outcomes organized into four domains—Identity, Diversity, Justice and Action—that reflect the desired impact of successful anti-bias and multicultural education on student personal and social development. The standards provide a common language and organizational structure: Teachers can use them to guide curriculum development, and administrators can use them to make schools more just, equitable and safe.